Curb the Congestion Winners

2017 Curb the Congestion Champion

Some 20 years
ago, Bob Stiles decided to stop using his car for his daily work commute.
Instead, he started taking the bus and riding his bike from Edmonds to Seattle
each weekday.

It
worked so well for him that he began leaving the car home more often, using bus
and bike to get around on his own time. After tracking his commute habits as
part of the Curb the Congestion program, Stiles estimates that in 2016 he saved
about 335 gallons of gas that he otherwise would have pumped if he were driving
his car for every trip.

His
dedication to environmentally-friendly transportation options won him the honor
of 2017 Curb the Congestion Champion of the Year!

Curb the Congestion Champions

2018 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 1st Quarter – Carl Ringler
Carl Ringler of Bothell is 100% committed to cycling to work year round. Of his 11.6 one-way commute, 9 miles is on a bike trail. Ringler says, “Dealing with the distracted drivers and traffic jams is stressful and draining. Riding down the Sammamish River Trail on a cold, rainy, windy day is, by comparison, rather enjoyable.” In the last year Ringler exercised over 390 hours during his bicycle commute which rewards him every day with improved mental and physical health.

2017 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 4th Quarter - Kevin CraderKevin Crader of Lynnwood has been riding the bus and vanpooling for over 17 years. Using an alternative to driving alone helps reduce traffic congestion and is better for our environment. Kevin advocates for vanpool by letting others know how much time he saves. He also has saved money on gas, wear and tear on his vehicles, and other commute related expenses. Plus he enjoys great conversation with his fellow vanpool riders. Kevin says, "Aside from being the right thing to do for the environment, vanpooling has given time back into my family and personal life, reduced my commute time and made me happier and less stressed!" 2017 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 3rd Quarter - David Wilcox

David Wilcox shows his dedication to smart transportation choices through his commitment to using options other than driving alone for work and personal trips. He commutes by vanpool from Port Orchard to Everett five days a week and by bicycle for errands around home. Each day David’s 178 mile smart commute saves him $58.00, 7 gallons of gasoline, and 144 pounds of CO2 from the air we breathe. That comes to a whopping savings of over $14,000 and 1,750 gallons of fuel every year!

2017 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 2nd Quarter - Bob Stiles

Some 20 years ago, Bob Stiles decided to stop using his car for his daily work commute. Instead, he started taking the bus and riding his bike from Edmonds to Seattle each weekday.

It worked so well for him that he began leaving the car home more often, using bus and bike to get around on his own time. After tracking his commute habits as part of the Curb the Congestion program, Stiles estimates that in 2016 he saved about 335 gallons of gas that he otherwise would have pumped if he were driving his car for every trip.

His dedication to environmentally-friendly transportation options won him the honor of Curb the Congestion Champion of the 2nd Quarter 2017 from Community Transit.

2017 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 1st Quarter - Mary Grassl
After costly car repairs, Everett’s Mary Grassl said enough is enough and chose to go completely car free about a year ago. By taking the bus and walking to her job in Lynnwood she has saved more than $1,000 and unmeasurable amounts of stress that comes from driving in traffic. In her first year of the program Grassl saved enough money to take a trip to New York City. Grassl works at Zumiez in Lynnwood and always talks to her coworkers about how much easier and stress-free her commute is, and she’s become the “go-to” person for public transit questions at her workplace. Since joining Curb the Congestion, Grassl has removed more than 600 drive-alone trips from Snohomish County roads.

Jason Stolberg of Everett is dedicated to teleworking and riding the bus or train every day for his commute to downtown Seattle. Working from home gives him the opportunity to take one more car off the busy roads, and has helped him save over $3,500 in commute expenses just in the last year alone. This flexible work option also allows him to live further away from work, which saves even more on his cost of living. Money isn’t the only thing Jason is saving, he’s also doing his part help the environment by saving 9,895 pounds of CO2 emissions from entering our air in 2016 alone.

2016 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 3rd Quarter - Jessica Bentem

Jessica Bentem of Everett is a dedicated, 7-days-a-week walker and bus rider. A smart trip can also be a healthy trip- Jessica has lost 41 pounds! “The impact it’s had on my health has been really great. I’m not stressed out when I get to work!” She made the switch from driving two years ago and hasn’t looked back. Jessica advocates for smart trips by letting others know how great this switch has been for her health and well-being. ” Way to go! She’s gotten more than pounds lost — Jessica has saved over $500 and removed more than 1,000 pounds of CO2 from our air. You’re an inspiration, Jessica!

2016 Curb the Congestion Champion of the 2nd Quarter - Kevin Crader

Kevin Crader of Lynnwood has been riding the bus and vanpooling for over 16 years. Using an alternative to driving alone helps reduce traffic congestion and is better for our environment. Kevin advocates for vanpool by letting others know how much time he saves. He also has saved money on gas, wear and tear on his vehicles, and other commute related expenses. Plus he enjoys great conversation with his fellow vanpool riders. Kevin says, "Aside from being the right thing to do for the environment, vanpooling has given time back into my family and personal life, reduced my commute time and made me happier and less stressed!" Kevin has saved over $8,200 and removed more than 21,000 pounds of CO2 from our air. Way to go, Kevin!

Cherelle Patton of Everett rides the bus and carpools mainly to save money. Finding options to driving alone also reduces traffic congestion. Cherelle likes that when she rides the bus she can relax and close her eyes instead of being stressed out in traffic. Cherelle has been an advocate for making smart transportation choices for all trips for more than 22 years, and recently recruited five of her friends to participate in Curb the Congestion. She encourages everyone to work on other ways to commute so that our children and grandchildren have a more acceptable chance at clear air. Cherelle has saved more than $2,500 and reduced almost 6,100 pounds of CO2 since joining Curb the Congestion.

2018 Curb the Congestion Monthly Winners

Wayne Hoofnagle (Carpool) "The main thing I save is the hassle of driving. It's nice to be able to relax and let someone else drive at least half of the time."

Margarita Lassiter (Bus) "While on the bus I can read a book, take a nap, catch up on the news or just relax on my way to and from work."

Michael Kammerer (Vanpool) "My vanpool provides big savings. I save on gas and vehicle maintenance, but also $30 to $40 a day in ferry fees."

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options of not driving alone. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Subba Kamma "I always encourage my friends and colleagues to choose smart commute by showing them the benefits. I read a lot of photography books on my bus and improved my photography as a hobby. I bring it up whenever someone asks me how did I learn photography."

Dan Kim "I ride the bus instead of driving alone. I save stress and over $100 each month in gas and parking fees."

Jun Wilson "BY riding the bus I save money on gas, car maintenance, and insurance (since I put less than 7500 miles per year on the car). Plus I don't have to drive in heavy traffic."

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Travis Duke "I tell my neighbors and co-workers to take the time to look for transportation options. There are incentives, tips and all kinds of travel and rideshareing opportunities to help get around and do it smartly."

John Wick "In the last year I've saved almost $2,000 by riding in my vanpool. That's no small change!"

Bill Collins "I ride the bus almost daily to get where I need to go. It saves a lot of stress since I don't have to driving in traffic."

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Jill Cutler of Bothell heard about Curb the Congestion from a postcard she received in the mail. Jill likes to do her small part for the environment. Jill says, "Curb the Congestion is a great program. It has helped me become more conscious of my driving habits and how I can help the environment." In the last 12 months Jill has saved 1,791 pounds of pollution from spewing into our air.

Eric Blue travels from Stanwood to Lynnwood by vanpool 5 days each week. Travel by vanpool for the 60 mile round trip saves Eric lots of money. In the last year Eric has save $3,778 in fuel by not driving alone for over 11,500 miles.

Kittiphol Mahakrittiyadhorn from Everett learned about Curb the Congestion from a co-worker. Kittiphol says, "I participate to save money on gas and parking." In the last year Kittiphol has saved $3,141 and 395 gallons of gas.

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Blair Kelley saw an ad about Curb the Congestion at the transit center. Blair participates to save money and reduce stress. Blair says, "You many not realize the full impact that you can have by helping the environment, your wallet and the community that you live in. Curb the Congestion provides you with the tools and easy structure to alter your driving habits."

Gregory Martin travels by bus to Everett Boeing 5 days each week. Travel by bus reduces stress and saves money. Gregory says, "Curb the Congestion is easy and informative. Riding the bus to work saves me hundreds of dollars each year and the hassle of finding parking."

Renee Rodriguez learned about Curb the Congestion from a co-worker. She rides the bus everyday and likes how the online tracking shows the miles and gas she's saving. Renee says, " Curb the Congestion helps reduce traffic and allows you a break from the congested roads. Some of the perks of being involved in a program like Curb the Congestion is you see how much you're saving on gas and miles and how not driving alone can actually get you to your destinations quicker."

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Jun Wilson of Bothell heard about Curb the Congestion on a flyer at the park & ride. She participates to save money and reduce stress. Jun says, "Not only do I save money in gas (about $900 each year) plus wear and tear on my car, but it saves on insurance too with less than 7,000 miles put on the car every year."

Thieu Tran travels from Renton to Everett by vanpool 5 days each week. Travel by vanpool reduces stress by sharing the ride and saves money. In the last year Thieu has save $4,312 in fuel and removed more than 10,700 pounds of pollution from our air by not driving alone for over 13,000 miles.

Scott Barker from Bothell received an email about Curb the Congestion that prompted his interest. Scott says, "I participate for many reasons. Doing my duty to conserve and add to the solution instead of the pollution. Concern for my children and grandchildren, leaving things as I would want them. And of course, the cost benefits." In the last year Scott has saved $3,424 by not driving 10,596 miles. Those trips also saved 8,563 pounds of pollution from going into our air.

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.

Barbara Morrison of Shoreline learned about Curb the Congestion from another bicyclist in the math department of Edmonds Community College. Barbara says, "I save about $14 a week on gas, plus have the wonderful benefits of staying in shape and feeling healthy. I love being outdoors and feeling the wind on my face."

Sylvia Garcia of Everett learned about Curb the Congestion at work. Sylvia says, "I enjoy carpooling because I have someone to talk to every day and I'm able to relax before starting my shift." Sylvia saves about $80 and many hours of being stuck in traffic each month by carpooling.

James Kreitle of Mukilteo rides his bike, walks, carpools or takes transit everywhere. In the last year James has saved over $,4450 and prevented 11,230 pounds of CO2 being spewed into our air.

Each of these lucky winners received a $150 reward in our monthly drawing. You too can win while you reduce congestion, help the environment, save a little money and spend more time with family rather than sitting in traffic. Register for Curb the Congestion and get personalized help finding a carpool, bus route or other options for making a smarter trip. Qualifying for rewards is easy; just log smart trips at least 8 days each month in your online calendar.